SRA allows trainees to qualify before completing PSC – Legal Futures

‘Trainee solicitors will be able to qualify without first completing the professional skills course (PSC) because of the Covid-19 outbreak, the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) has decided.’

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Legal Futures, 24th April 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers versus climate change – the Climate Contract Playbook – Technology Law Update

Posted April 16th, 2020 in climate change, environmental protection, legal profession, news by sally

‘The 2015 Paris Agreement committed governments to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions to keep global warming below 2°C, and drive efforts to limit the rise to 1.5°C. The UK Government has since revised the Climate Change Act 2008 to implement a target to reach net zero emissions by 2050.’

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Technology Law Update, 1st April 2020

Source: www.technology-law-blog.co.uk

COVID-19, the self-employed and the Bar – a wobbly scheme? – Doughty Street Chambers

‘The Government approved a package of measures targeting the self-employed in response to the Covid-19 crisis. But are these measures sufficient and will they adequately safeguard members of the self-employed Bar, lower paid employees and workers in the gig economy and see sets of Chambers through the crisis? Doughty Street’s employment law team is available to advise on any employment issues that may arise in relation to employment status, sham self-employment agreements and the government’s financial assistance packages in the wake of Covid-19.’

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Doughty Street Chambers, 10th April 2020

Source: insights.doughtystreet.co.uk

‘Too scared to speak out’: young legal aid lawyers highlight Covid-19 pressures – Law Society’s Gazette

Posted April 9th, 2020 in coronavirus, legal aid, legal profession, news, solicitors, standards by sally

‘Furloughed but asked to work, starting work at 5am, prevented from working from home despite living with vulnerable parents – these are some of the shocking stories to emerge from a survey of junior legal aid lawyers.’

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Law Society's Gazette, 9th April 2020

Source: www.lawgazette.co.uk

Privately educated lawyers dominate corporate work – Legal Futures

‘The proportion of solicitors who attended state schools is creeping upwards, but those who went to fee-paying schools dominate corporate work, according to the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA).’

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Legal Futures, 31st March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Government identifies justice system’s keyworkers – Legal Futures

‘Legal professionals involved in court and tribunal hearings, as well as those advising people deprived of their liberty or on executing wills are ‘keyworkers’, the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) has said.’

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Legal Futures, 23rd March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Mirror’s in-house lawyers under phone-hacking scrutiny – Legal Futures

‘The High Court has rejected a bid to strike out the claim by various public figures that the legal department of MGN Group knew about phone hacking at the Daily Mirror.’

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Legal Futures, 11th March 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Peer calls for regulation overhaul as CMA plans review – Legal Futures

‘A solicitor peer has urged the Ministry of Justice (MoJ) to act now and simplify the legal regulatory regime, saying nothing will change if it is left to the profession.’

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Legal Futures, 26th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Female family lawyers’ group to push for senior roles – Legal Futures

Posted February 25th, 2020 in diversity, family courts, legal profession, news, women by sally

‘An association for female family lawyers will be launched next month, embracing all levels of seniority from High Court judges to paralegals, with the immediate aim of creating a national mentoring scheme.’

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Legal Futures, 25th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Lawyers urged to use the law to fight climate change – Legal Futures

‘An independent collaboration of lawyers, calling itself the Chancery Lane Project, is to publish a set of model laws and contract clauses later this month to help the profession around the world fight climate change.’

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Legal Futures, 20th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

No special rules allowing regulators to override LPP – Legal Futures

Posted February 21st, 2020 in appeals, disclosure, documents, legal profession, news, privilege by sally

‘There are no special rules allowing regulators such as the Financial Reporting Council (FRC) to override the protection of legal professional privilege (LPP), the Court of Appeal has ruled.’

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Legal Futures, 20th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Thomas on Wales – Counsel

Posted February 20th, 2020 in civil justice, criminal justice, devolution, legal profession, news, reports, Wales by sally

‘With radical recommendations for ‘fair, distinct and devolved’ justice, the Thomas Report should be required reading for anyone interested in Wales and the state of its justice system – writes David Hughes.’

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Counsel, February 2020

Source: www.counselmagazine.co.uk

Sexist comments “remain rife” in legal profession – Legal Futures

Posted February 18th, 2020 in equality, legal profession, news, sex discrimination, women by sally

‘Some 58% of women in the legal profession say they or women they work with have received inappropriate comments from male colleagues relating to their gender, new research has found.’

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Legal Futures, 17th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

‘The victimisation was horrible’: why are so many disabled lawyers treated badly? – The Guardian

‘A new study says that more than half of disabled lawyers have experienced bullying or discrimination at work.’

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The Guardian, 11th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Family lawyers “disproportionately female and white” – Legal Futures

Posted February 11th, 2020 in diversity, family courts, legal profession, minorities, news, statistics by sally

‘Three-quarters of family lawyers are women, while those from black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) backgrounds are under-represented, ground-breaking research among members of Resolution has indicated.’

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Legal Futures, 11th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Litigators confident that work will remain post-Brexit – Litigation Futures

Posted February 6th, 2020 in brexit, legal profession, legal services, news by sally

‘Most litigation lawyers (57%) believe there will not be significant loss of work to other jurisdictions in the wake of Brexit, a survey has found.’

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Litigation Futures, 6th February 2020

Source: www.litigationfutures.com

‘Casual sexism is still prevalent’: how close is the law to gender equality? – The Guardian

‘Almost 100 years ago, Dr Ivy Williams joined the Inner Temple as a law student. In 1922, three years after the Sex Disqualification Removal Act, she became the first woman to be called to the bar in this country. Most people have never heard of her. Although she never entered private practice, she taught law for 25 years and gave free legal advice to those who couldn’t afford it. A tireless activist and campaigner, her example paved an important road.’

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The Guardian, 4th February 2020

Source: www.theguardian.com

Appeal court confirms ‘dominant purpose’ test for legal advice privilege – OUT-LAW.com

‘The UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) could not claim legal advice privilege over email correspondence which was predominantly conducted for the purposes of seeking commercial views, rather than legal advice, the Court of Appeal has confirmed.’

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OUT-LAW.com, 4th February 2020

Source: www.pinsentmasons.com

Lawyers could be forced to sign up to comparison websites – Legal Futures

‘Law firms, chambers and other legal services providers could be forced to sign up to comparison websites so that clients can let others know about the quality of service they received.’

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Legal Futures, 3rd February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk

Disabled lawyers “face daily discrimination” – Legal Futures

‘Disabled lawyers face both overt and “unconscious” discrimination on a daily basis, such as “rituals, practices and attitudes that exclude or undermine them”, according to research published today.’

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Legal Futures, 24th February 2020

Source: www.legalfutures.co.uk